This invention deals with a means of providing security against the unwanted, or unintended use of electrical plugs. For safety reasons, it is often desirable to prohibit the use of certain electrically operated devices, for example, when an electrician is working on an electrical system, it is imperative that some other person does not activate the system electrically and therefore, if the workman can temporarily interrupt the electricity, and can be assured that no other person can accidentally re-activate the electricity, then the workman can work with the system without danger of being electrocuted. The instant invention is intended to provide a simple, inexpensive, efficient means of securing such electrical plugs.
One such device for this purpose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,667, which issued Mar. 10, 1987 to Baumgart, in which there is shown an apparatus having a containment chamber associated with a locking means. Spaced pairs of apertures are located at the top portion on opposite sides of the chamber. An electrical plug and its associated cable are inserted into the chamber with the shackle of the locking means being inserted through the apertures so as to encircle the electrical cable when in the locked position to capture the electrical plug within the chamber. Thus, this device depends on the locking means per se to prevent the removal of the electrical plug and does not depend on the containment chamber for such a purpose.
A second United States Patent to Baumgart, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,230, which issued Jun. 16, 1987, discloses a similar device for preventing the unauthorized use of electrical plugs. The apparatus has a chamber which has a bottom and a peripherally extending side wall with an open top portion. There is an aperture in the bottom of the receiving cable. The device slides up and down on the cable, and when in use, the device is moved to the end of the cable, thereby enclosing the plug end, and a locking means is used at the top to prevent the removal of the electrical plug. In other words, this device is permanently associated with the electrical plug, and cannot be used on any other electrical plug for protection.
Finally, the inventor herein is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 1,062,506 to Rickard, which issued on May 20, 1913, which deals with a mail pouch and lock to secure mail. The locking device is comprised of a locking means, and a strap, which is designed to work with the locking device, whereupon, the strap of the assembly is pulled around the top of the mail bag to close the top of the mail bag, and then the strap is inserted into its locking means and locked therein.
Although this device appears to be very close in operation to the device of the instant invention, it can be noted that it differs, in that, the strap and lock are a unitary assembly and if the lock fails, the entire assembly fails, and therefore, a whole new assembly has to be used, whereas in the instant invention, if the lock fails, it is only the lock that has to be replaced. Further, the assembly is dependent on openings in the mail bag itself for the locking device to be positioned correctly for locking.
The apparatus of Rickard is large and cumbersome. Further, it is used on mail bags, and there is no disclosure in that patent that would indicate that device could be used in a method of securing electrical cables. Even if that disclosure were present in the Rickard reference, the Rickard device does not have the versatility of the device of the instant invention, in that, in order to draw the bag tight to lock, the Rickard device would only leave enough opening for one or two cords through the top opening owing to the strap and lock means being one assembly and the strap means having only one point at which the lock means is activated, while the device of the instant invention is good for multiple plug use.
None of the devices of the prior art provide the simplicity, efficiency, and low cost benefits of the device of the instant invention.